I have four cousins from Haiti.
One is a missionary in Africa. One is attending West Point.
None of them would be where they are today if it had not been for the love of Uncle Dick and Aunt Dixie in adopting each of them. That love which is a physical picture of a spiritual truth. That love of our Lord who adopted us (Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:5).
Uncle Dick and Aunt Dixie worked as missionaries in Haiti years ago. They raised many children together, including my Haitian cousins. Then Uncle Dick was called home to Heaven. And Aunt Dixie’s love for his memory and for Haiti became Hope in Haiti, an organization that builds schools and sponsors children in rural mountain villages of Haiti.
I’m guessing that Uncle Dick is part of the welcoming committee in Heaven this week for the believers and little ones from Haiti that are crossing Jordan’s shores.
Meanwhile, Aunt Dixie’s is part of coordinating a relief effort to give Hope in Haiti once more.
Has your heart broken this week at the news coverage? Or are you already calloused to the images, deaf to the news broadcasts?
Have you come face to face with how different their reality is from ours? Ashleigh has.
Few of us actually landed in Port a Prince the day before the earthquake. But my friend’s sister did. Annette is right there, to be the hands and feet of hope.
But the hands and feet need the rest of the body. They need us to hold them up in prayer. They need us to hold them up financially. They need us to hold them up by spreading the word. They need us to petition to let adoptive parents bring their children home to the states now.
That is how to give hope to people just like my cousins Micha, Jeremy, Evens, and Jesse. That is how to give Hope in Haiti.
When I first heard the news about Haiti, I was only distantly sad. Then a friend reminded me that Fabiola is there. She is the little nine-year-old girl we sponser together through Compassion ministries. That’s when my heart broke- when a face, the face of a dear little girl whose support I contribute to and who I pray for, was given to the tragedy, that’s when it became real. We still haven’t heard where Fabiola is or if she’s okay. But by remembering that I have her to pray for reminded me of the others who need my prayers, even more desperately than she does. After all, she knows Jesus. How many of those who may have very little time left to live don’t?
Thanks for this eye-opening post… I hadn’t even thought of parents with adopted children. That must be awful.
God bless,
Megan
Thanks for sharing, Gretchen. It helps to put a personal face on it.
I have a friend (Tim) in Haiti right now trying to bring his adopted sons home.
Thank you for sharing and for all the prayers!
Having lived in Haiti for the first seven months of 2009, this has brought many tears as word came back of people that I knew and loved who are no longer living or are still missing… and much rejoicing when we were kept up all night with phone calls from Haiti of dear friends saying, “We’re okay! We’re okay!”
I also just finished crying over a phone call about friends who have been in the process of adopting 2 little girls from Haiti for the past three years and today they are in Port au Prince with refugee visas in hand to bring their daughters home!
I’m sure that at some point within the next few months I’ll be flying to Haiti with my husband, hoping to bring help with our knowledge of Creole and my husband’s mechanic skills but until then, our prayers are vital and can do more to move mountains than our hands can at this point.
I agree thanks for sharing this information. It helps me connect with the Haiti events. We will be praying for your friends and family.
Thanks again for stopping by my blog today, good luck on the giveaway!
This is great to read. I am so glad to read this post. My family is okay in Haiti. There is a lot of heartache and damage over there. Please pray.
Thank you so much for sharing Gretchen…I understand the tears, Woman of Promise, I too have close ties to Haiti. I have spent extended time there, and was supposed to be there earlier this month. But God postponed my plans. It’s so very difficult wanting to be there, but trusting the grace and providence of my all-knowing God is what I must do. I know the rejoicing that comes from thankfulness that so dear many faces of brothers and sisters in Christ are safe. I will keep you in my prayers as you prepare to return and serve.
Ke Bondye beni-w!